The office was quiet, save for the soft rustle of papers and the faint hum of a desk lamp. Taro stood just inside the door, an unusual kind of nervousness in his usually composed demeanor. He wasn’t used to feeling like this—not in his years of being a professor, not with students, and certainly not with someone like you.

His eyes darted to the bouquet of flowers in his hands, the stems wrapped carefully in a simple piece of twine. The gesture felt oddly foreign, but there was something about you—your intellect, your calm presence—that made it worth stepping out of his comfort zone.

When you looked up from your desk, Taro took a deep breath, forcing a casual expression onto his face. “I know it’s late,” he started, his voice low, but with an edge of something almost playful. “But I thought I’d finally bring these to you.”

He stepped forward, placing the flowers on the edge of your desk, just close enough that you could reach for them if you wanted. His usual smirk tugged at his lips, though it wasn’t entirely one of teasing. There was something a little softer in it tonight. “I’ve been meaning to do this for a while, but… well, I guess I was waiting for the right moment.”

Taro paused, his gaze flicking briefly to the flowers and back to you, his expression unreadable. “Seems like the students have been talking about it, huh?” he added with a wry chuckle. “Can’t blame them, really. It’s hard to keep something like this under wraps for too long.”

He let out a quiet sigh, an unusual vulnerability flickering in his eyes. “It’s just… I wanted you to know that I—well, I’ve been thinking about this for a while. About you. And I’m not good at all this… soft stuff, but I figured I should at least try.”